Hood latch assembly with sliding bolt



April 13, 1943. R 1

HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLY WITH SLIDING BOLT Filed Marchal, 1941 s sheets-sheet1 April 13, 1943. R. HILL HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLY WITH SLIDING BOLT FiledMarch 3l, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ,0 Wag 7 Patented Apr. 13, 1943 HOODLATCH ASSEMBLY WITH SLIDING BOLT Rowland Hill, Chicago, Ill., assignorto Chicago Forging & Manufacturing Company, Chicago, lll., a corporationof Illinois Application March 31, 1941, Serial No. 386,105

3 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in hood latch assembliesparticularly applicable to hood latches applied to alligator type hoodsin which the hood closure is hinged or movably mounted at its rear endin such fashion that the forward end may be swung up to give access tothe parts within the hood.

One purpose is the provision of an improved sliding bolt.

Another purpose is the provision of an improved means for actuating thesliding bolt.

nother purpose is the provision of an imwas latch structure operable byremote controlwithin the car.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of thespecication and claims.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings wherem:

Fig. l is a side elevation with parts in vertical section:

Fig. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line I-l of Fig. 3, the parts being ina different position;

Fig. 5 is a detail of the latch:

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 8-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig '1 is a detail of a variant form of the device; and

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. '7.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specificationand drawings.

Referring to ;the drawings, I generally indicates an automobile hood,and 2 a hood closure, which may be hinged or otherwise movably securedat its rear end, a hinge 3 being diagrammatically illustrated. It willbe understood, however, that in general somev type of multiple or leverarm hinged structure may be employed. Since the details of the hinge donot of themselves form part of the present invention, the hinge 3 willbe considered as merely a. diagrammatic illustration of a hinge formovably supporting the rear end of the closure 2.

4 illustrates an instrument panel, upon which may be mounted anysuitable control button 5,

latching ledge 8. The Spearhead shaft 1 may be secured to a plate orsupport 9, which in turn is mounted in any suitable manner upon thec1osure 2. A lower plate or support, generally indlcated as I0, ismounted in any suitable fashion on the hood I,.in vertical alignmentwith the support 9. It is apertured as at II to receive the end of theSpearhead and is further apertured as at I2 to permit the penetrationtherethrough of a safety latch I3, pivoted as at I4 upon the support 9.The safety latch ds not of itself form part of the present invention andwill not be further described.

I5 is a spring, herein shown as coiled about the keeper stem 1 andcompressed between the support 9 and a cup I6, and which has a bottomange I 1 adapted to engage the upper face of the support I0. It will beunderstood that when the closure 2 is in raised position, the cup I6 isthrust by the spring downwardly about the head 1a, and its upper flangeI8 serves as a stop for limiting its further downward movement along thestem 1. When the parts are in the closed position, the spring I5 iscompressed, and when the below described latch structure is released, itis effective to raise the closure 2 a slight distance above the hood Iand to raise the latch ledge 8 of the spearhead 1a up out of alignmentwith the latch bolt 20, which is slidably movable in any suitable guide2l, formed or mounted in the lower side of the support I0. The raisingof the closure 2 is also effective to permit the operator to reach inand manually release the safety catch y I3, which would otherwise engagea side of the aperture I2 and prevent any further lifting of the closure2. It will be noted that the inner end of the guide 2| is arcuatelyformed to conform generally to the aperture II through the plate III,this arcuate edge having a downwardly turned flange I Ib. This flange,with a correspondingly downwardly turned flange I Ia, surrounds theaperture I I, with a guiding sleeve adapted to engage and center theSpearhead 1a on the keeper stem 1.

In order to actuate the latch bolt 20 I provide the following structure:A lever 22 is pivoted, as at 23, to the bottom of the support or plateI0. It has a bent end 24, which extends through an aperture 25 in theplate I0. It has a portion 26 located on the opposite or upper side ofthe plate, having at its end an upwardly turned ear or ange 21. The angeis provided with an aperture 28, through which passes the end of thewire 6a, the wire having spaced abutments thereon 38 and 3|, which may,if desired, be made adjustable on'the wire and are separated by asufficient distance to permit a substantial movement of the leverwithout a corresponding movement of the wire, under circumstances whichwill below be disc'sed. The conduit I. through which the wirelaiex'tends, is locked or secured in position on the base Il for exampleby the clamp 24.

The lever 22 is normally held in the full line positlonoi' Fig. 2, bythe spring 40, one end of which is secured to the lever 22 and the otherto an oi!- set ear 4i of the plate I0; The slide 2l is normally thrustinto the latching position in which it is shown in Fig. 2 through aconnection with the lever, which may include :for example a pin 42,extendingV from the lever and seated in an aperture 42 of the slide 20.Preferably the aper- `ture is slightlylarger than the pin, to preventany clamping through the arc through which the pin passes when the lever22 is moved.. Also,

, there may be a perceptibly slight clearance between the edges of thelatch plate or bolt 2l and theopposed sides of the guide 2 I. Also, theoverlying portion of the guide 2l is provided with an velongatedaperture 44 to permit the passage of the pin therethrough from the lever`into the aperture in the bolt 20. It will be understood, of course,that whereas I prefer to employ a pin or trunnion on the lever, theposition of the parts might be reversed, and a projection on the boltitself might be-employed, penetrating the aperture in the lever, orotherwise interiltting with the` lever. However, I .ilnd the presentstructure preferable for ease in assembly, as in assembling the deviceall that is necessary is to insert the bolt 2| endwise into the guide2l, with its aperture 42 aligned with the aperture 44 of the guide. Thenthe lever 22 is put in position, with its pin 42 passing through theaperture in the guide and penetrating the aperture in the slide. Thelever may then be riveted or otherwise secured to the base l0, and thisprovides a permanent means oi preventing unintended escape of the bolt20.

y ing the end of the lever, as in the case of Figs. l and following, Ileave the entire length of the lever below the plate i0, and provide ifnecessary a guiding vstrap or loop 46 for preventing any undue movementof the outer end thereof. Note also that in the form of Figs. 7 and 8the ear 21a asiduos wire and handle, since in both forms of the devicethe end of the leverg22 or 22a is given a measure of play between theabutments' and Il on the wire. Either or both of these abutments may beadjustable, of course, ior example bythe set screws shown. In operationthe parts are so adjusted that the spring 4I normally holds the lever22, which I may call a latching lever, in latching position, with theslide or bolt in the latching position. If it is desired to release thebolt, the operator need only pull on the handle I, which urges theabutment 2l of the wire la against the ear 21 of the lever 22, and thelever is withdrawn. A s the lever is pinned or trunnioned to the slide2l, the result is the movement of the slide 24 to withdrawn position.

As above pointed out, the clearances between the interpenetrating partsof bolt and lever and between the bolt and its guide are such that thereis no cramping ofthe parts. On the other hand, when the operator -wishesto lower the hood, the conic member la of the keeper cams the latch bolt2l back into release position, and with it moves the lever 22 or 22a,extending the spring 4I. Then, as soon as the bolt is in keeperposition, the spring 4l is effective to move the unlatching lever of thelatch or bolt back into the latching position.

. Under most circumstances the abutment 2| may be omitted, as shown inFig. 7, and the knob 5 is eiective to prevent unintended forwardmovement of the wire 4a. It will be noted that the end of the conduit Iterminates a suiilcient distance from the end of the lever so that thefree end of the wire 0a may flex as the end cd the lever rotates throughits arc. 'I'he ilexure is slight, but any possible tendency to bind isavoided by terminating the conduit short oi' the end of the lever. Also,the end of the conduit is secured to the plate Il and is properlyaligned with the end of the lever, and is aligned with the path oi'movement of the end of the lever, in such fashion that there is aminimum of ilexure of the wire. The friction between the wire 6a and theconduit l is sumcient also to prevent normally any retrograde movementof the wire when the operator closes lies within the aperture 25a of theplate Ill, in

l alignment with the end of the wire 4a.

tive or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.l

'I'he use and operation of my invention are as follows:

I have provided means for readily moving the latch -bolt or slide 20 torelease position by a pull on a manual handle 5 within the vehicle,which `controls the wire 6a or any suitable mechanical element. Iillustrate the latch bolt as, however, movable independently of themovement of the the hood as above described. However, the strength ofthe spring 40 is suiilcient to hold the wire in forward position and todraw the wire and the knob 5 into initial position when the unlatchinglever and the latch bolt are in latching position. In'that case thelever and the bolt all move together in response to the action of thespring 40.

The end of the aperture 44 is effective to receive the pin 42 and tolimit the inward movement of the pin and of the bolt 20 toward latchingpositioIn in response to the action of the spring 40.

c aim:

1. In a latch assembly, a latch support having la keeper receivingaperture located within the body of the support at a point far removedfrom all the boundaries thereof, a latch bolt of flat sheet metal stockmounted on the lower side of said support, means for guiding itrectilinearly along said support toward and away from said aperture,including a guide element secured to the lower side of said support, andmeans for actuat- *movement of the asians:

gated aperture adapted to permit the movement of said bolt and levertoward and away from said A keeper receiving aperture, yielding meansinterposed between the lever and the support and adapted normally tomove the lever and bolt toward latching position, and manually operablemeans for moving the latching lever and the bolt to unlatching position,the end wall oi' said aperture in the guide being adapted to engage therember on said lever which extends through the :boit toward latchingposition. 2. In a latch assembly for automobiles and the like, ahorizontal latch plate apertured intermediate its edges to receive acombined guide and keeper, the aperture oi said plate being surroundedon three sides by an integral downturned iiange, a guide member securedto the lower side or said plate and conforming generally at one edge tosaid aperture and having formed along and to serve as a limit forlimiting the v such edge an integral downwardly turned flange.

completing with the flange portion of the plate a downwardly extendingilange substantially entirely surrounding said aperture, a ilat sheetmetal bolt interposed between said guide and said plate, said guidehaving a slot therein. a lever pivoted at one end to said Iplate andextending across and beneath said guide, a pin on said lever,penetrating said slot and said bolt, the diameter o! said pin being lessthan the width of said slot. whereby binding oi the pin against thesides of the slot is prevented, said boltv being of. slightly less widththan the width of the milde, whereby binding between bolt and guide isprevented. yielding means normally urging said lever and 35- said bolttoward latching position, with the inner edge oi said bolt extendinginto vertical alignment with said aperture, and manually Operable meanssecured to the outer end of said lever for moving said lever againstsaid yielding means to unlatching position, and guide means for theouter end of said lever adapted to constrain said lever to movement in aplane parallel with the lplane of said plate.

3. In a latch assembly, a latch supporting plate having an oval, keeperreceiving, aperture within the body of and rar removed from all the boundarles of the plate, a keeper adapted to penetrate the aperture and movetoward and from the plate in a plane perpendicular to the support andparallel with the longitudinal axis or the aperture, a latch bolt on theside of the plate furthest removed from the direction from which thekeeper approaches. means for guiding the bolt along the plate toward andfrom the keeper aperture. a latch lever pivoted on, and bent outwardlyaway from the plate to overlle the guide means, a driving connectionbetween the lever and the latch bolt extending through the guide means,an v assembly aperture in the latch supporting plate adjacent the freeend of the lever, the tree end of the lever being upwardly bent toproject through the assembly aperture, a flexible conduit terminatingadjacent the assembly aperture and rigidly attached to the plate, theflexible shaft slidable in the conduit, a connection between it and theend of the lever located substantially in the plane of the bly aperture.

BOWLANDHILL.

